Born in Pensacola, Fla., on Dec. 11, 1931, Benny Spellman moved to New Orleans in 1959 after meeting Huey “Piano” Smith and the Clowns; according to former WWOZ show host Tom Morgan’s daily Louisiana music history post on Facebook, which today celebrates Spellman’s birthday, he gave Smith’s band a ride back to the Crescent City after their truck broke down in his hometown. Not only did he stay in New Orleans, he became one of the many notable local performers to join the group.

Spellman’s superlow voice, of course, punctuates the chorus of Ernie K-Doe’s “Mother-in-Law,” a contribution the bass singer was often heard to say made the difference that turned the song into a No. 1 hit. He didn’t score as high with his own early-‘60s recordings, like “Fortune Teller” and “Lipstick Traces” (which mimics “Mother-in-Law’s” melody) but both rightfully became New Orleans rhythm and blues classics in their own right.